Armed with high court order asking the agitating teachers report back to duty, Madhya Pradesh government resorted to major crackdown on agitating teachers throughout the state.

Agitating teachers were detained by police at Lalghati Square in Bhopal on Friday.((Bidesh Manna/HT photo))

Armed with high court order asking the agitating teachers report back to duty, Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in Madhya Pradesh resorted to major crackdown on agitating teachers throughout the state.

Hundreds of teachers were detained from different districts, while they were coming to Bhopal to gherao CM House.

More than 4000 agitating teachers were detained by the police across the state including female teachers too from railway station, bus stop and other locations.

More than 200 teachers were detained in Ashoknagar, 26 from Gwalior, 20 were detained were Vidisha districts. All the female teachers who were detained by police were released in the evening.

“We detained around 4000 teachers across the state at railway stations, bus stops and other places. Teachers who were participating in kind of protest or who were coming to participate in the protest were detained. Most of them were released till late night”, said Inspector general of police, Makrand Deoskar.

Agitating teachers of local bodies are demanding merger of their services with school education department. In all 114 teachers of Bhopal have been already suspended by district collector.

Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan defended the action taken by police saying that it was important for maintaining law and order in the state.

He said the act done by teachers was ‘inappropriate’ and education system should not be impacted as teaching and learning in schools was important.

Despite detention drive against agitating teachers being carried out by police and district administration since Thursday evening, more than 5000 teachers managed to gather at Lal Ghati square on Friday morning.

Teachers holding tricolor in their hand tried to take out rally from Lal Ghati but failed because of police force.

Collector Bhopal Nishant Warwade said “around 1100 teachers have been detained from various locations of Bhopal. Handfuls of teachers are still present at Lal Ghati and are sitting on dharna. Our motive was to maintain peace in the district on the occasion of Eid and we succeeded in doing that”.

Despite detention of several teachers around 200 teachers staged dharna at Lal Ghati and stated that they will stick to their demands. Teachers said they will not remain quit and will take out a rally in Delhi on October 4.

Core committee member of Azad Adhyapak Sangh Shilpy Shivang said despite such an aggressive behaviour of state government they will continue their protest and no teacher will return to their respective schools to resume work.

After failed attempt of taking out rally in Bhopal now they will move to Delhi on October 4, she added.

Meanwhile, around 30 teachers who were leading the protest and were detained on Thursday after failed conversation with senior officials of school education department were not released on Friday too.

The teachers were detained by police immediately after the meeting that remained inconclusive ended at Directorate of Public Instructions.

The teachers did not turn up at their schools despite High Court’s specific instructions to the teachers to get back to work and the state government showing a tough stand against the teachers in light of the court’s order.